Sean Carter---Supreme Court to post timely audio of oral arguments

The Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it will begin releasing audio recordings of all of its oral arguments in a more timely manner.

It will post the recordings on its Web site on Fridays in the weeks it hears arguments. The court already posts same-day transcripts of the arguments, which normally occur on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Previously, tapes of the arguments, maintained by the National Archives, were generally not available until the term was over.

But the court also said Tuesday that it would end the practice of releasing audio of its most important cases on the same day they are heard, a decision that disappointed some news media organizations.

Cameras are not allowed in Supreme Court proceedings, and in the past, media groups petitioned the justices to release the same-day audio. But no requests were granted last term, and justices have complained about having to decide which cases warranted the special treatment.